Big Bill Thompson, Chicago, and the Politics of Image

Big Bill Thompson, Chicago, and the Politics of Image

Author: Douglas Bukowski

Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Published: 1998

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 9780252066689

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There are politics, politicians, and scandals, but only in Chicago can any combination of these spark the kind of fireworks they do. And no other American city has had a mayor like William Hale "Big Bill" Thompson, not in any of his political incarnations. A brilliant chameleon of a politician, Thompson could move from pro- to anti-prohibition, from opposing the Chicago Teachers Federation to opposing a superintendent hostile to it, from being anti-Catholic to winning, in huge numbers, the Catholic vote. Shape-shifter extraordinaire, Thompson stayed in power by repeatedly altering his political image. In Big Bill Thompson, Chicago, and the Politics of Image, Douglas Bukowski captures the essence of this wily urban politico as no other biographer or historian has. Using materials accessible only thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, Bukowski has fashioned an unforgettable story of a volatile Chicago leader and his era. And he does it with such grace and in such an irresistible style that readers will yearn to visit the local speakeasy and lift a glass to colorful politicians gone by. "An excellent book, written in a lively style with a contemporary resonance. A first rate meditation on the image and reality of 'Big Bill' in the context of actual and mythological Chicago political history." -- Steven P. Erie, author of Rainbow's End: Irish-Americans and the Dilemma of Urban Machine Politics "Written with a flair and a gentle sardonicism that makes it fun to read, Big Bill Thompson ... is a significant contribution to the literature of urban history and politics." -- Roger W. Biles, author of The South and the New Deal and Richard J. Daley: Politics, Race, and the Governing of Chicago


Book Synopsis Big Bill Thompson, Chicago, and the Politics of Image by : Douglas Bukowski

Download or read book Big Bill Thompson, Chicago, and the Politics of Image written by Douglas Bukowski and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 1998 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are politics, politicians, and scandals, but only in Chicago can any combination of these spark the kind of fireworks they do. And no other American city has had a mayor like William Hale "Big Bill" Thompson, not in any of his political incarnations. A brilliant chameleon of a politician, Thompson could move from pro- to anti-prohibition, from opposing the Chicago Teachers Federation to opposing a superintendent hostile to it, from being anti-Catholic to winning, in huge numbers, the Catholic vote. Shape-shifter extraordinaire, Thompson stayed in power by repeatedly altering his political image. In Big Bill Thompson, Chicago, and the Politics of Image, Douglas Bukowski captures the essence of this wily urban politico as no other biographer or historian has. Using materials accessible only thanks to the Freedom of Information Act, Bukowski has fashioned an unforgettable story of a volatile Chicago leader and his era. And he does it with such grace and in such an irresistible style that readers will yearn to visit the local speakeasy and lift a glass to colorful politicians gone by. "An excellent book, written in a lively style with a contemporary resonance. A first rate meditation on the image and reality of 'Big Bill' in the context of actual and mythological Chicago political history." -- Steven P. Erie, author of Rainbow's End: Irish-Americans and the Dilemma of Urban Machine Politics "Written with a flair and a gentle sardonicism that makes it fun to read, Big Bill Thompson ... is a significant contribution to the literature of urban history and politics." -- Roger W. Biles, author of The South and the New Deal and Richard J. Daley: Politics, Race, and the Governing of Chicago

Soldier Field

Soldier Field

Author: Liam T. A. Ford

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2009-10-15

Total Pages: 381

ISBN-13: 0226257096

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Sports fans nationwide know Soldier Field as the home of the Chicago Bears. For decades its signature columns provided an iconic backdrop for gridiron matches. But few realize that the stadium has been much more than that. Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City explores how this amphitheater evolved from a public war memorial into a majestic arena that helped define Chicago. Chicago Tribune staff writer Liam Ford led the reporting on the stadium’s controversial 2003 renovation—and simultaneously found himself unearthing a dramatic history. As he tells it, the tale of Soldier Field truly is the story of Chicago, filled with political intrigue and civic pride. Designed by Holabird and Roche, Soldier Field arose through a serendipitous combination of local tax dollars, City Beautiful boosterism, and the machinations of Mayor “Big Bill” Thompson. The result was a stadium that stood at the center of Chicago’s political, cultural, and sporting life for nearly sixty years before the arrival of Walter Payton and William “The Refrigerator” Perry. Ford describes it all in the voice of a seasoned reporter: the high school football games, track and field contests, rodeos, and even NASCAR races. Photographs, including many from the Chicago Park District’s own collections, capture these remarkable scenes: the swelling crowds at ethnic festivals, Catholic masses, and political rallies. Few remember that Soldier Field hosted Billy Graham and Martin Luther King Jr., Judy Garland and Johnny Cash—as well as Grateful Dead’s final show. Soldier Field captures the dramatic history of Chicago’s stadium on the lake and will captivate sports fans and historians alike.


Book Synopsis Soldier Field by : Liam T. A. Ford

Download or read book Soldier Field written by Liam T. A. Ford and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2009-10-15 with total page 381 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sports fans nationwide know Soldier Field as the home of the Chicago Bears. For decades its signature columns provided an iconic backdrop for gridiron matches. But few realize that the stadium has been much more than that. Soldier Field: A Stadium and Its City explores how this amphitheater evolved from a public war memorial into a majestic arena that helped define Chicago. Chicago Tribune staff writer Liam Ford led the reporting on the stadium’s controversial 2003 renovation—and simultaneously found himself unearthing a dramatic history. As he tells it, the tale of Soldier Field truly is the story of Chicago, filled with political intrigue and civic pride. Designed by Holabird and Roche, Soldier Field arose through a serendipitous combination of local tax dollars, City Beautiful boosterism, and the machinations of Mayor “Big Bill” Thompson. The result was a stadium that stood at the center of Chicago’s political, cultural, and sporting life for nearly sixty years before the arrival of Walter Payton and William “The Refrigerator” Perry. Ford describes it all in the voice of a seasoned reporter: the high school football games, track and field contests, rodeos, and even NASCAR races. Photographs, including many from the Chicago Park District’s own collections, capture these remarkable scenes: the swelling crowds at ethnic festivals, Catholic masses, and political rallies. Few remember that Soldier Field hosted Billy Graham and Martin Luther King Jr., Judy Garland and Johnny Cash—as well as Grateful Dead’s final show. Soldier Field captures the dramatic history of Chicago’s stadium on the lake and will captivate sports fans and historians alike.

Teachers and Reform

Teachers and Reform

Author: John F. Lyons

Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Published: 2008

Total Pages: 314

ISBN-13: 0252032721

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Drawing on archival as well as rich interview material, John F. Lyons examines the role of Chicago public schoolteachers and their union, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), in shaping the policies and practices of public education in Chicago from 1937 to 1970. From the union's formation in 1937 until the 1960s, the CTU was the largest and most influential teachers' union in the country, operating in the nation's second largest school system. Although all Chicago public schoolteachers were committed to such bread-and-butter demands as higher salaries, many teachers also sought a more rigorous reform of the school system through calls for better working conditions, greater classroom autonomy, more funding for education, and the end of political control of the schools. Using political action, public relations campaigns, and community alliances, the CTU successfully raised members' salaries and benefits, increased school budgets, influenced school curricula, and campaigned for greater equality for women within the Chicago public education system. Examining teachers' unions and public education from the bottom up, Lyons shows how teachers' unions helped to shape one of the largest public education systems in the nation. Taking into consideration the larger political context, such as World War II, the McCarthy era, and the civil rights movements of the 1960s, this study analyzes how the teachers' attempts to improve their working lives and the quality of the Chicago public school system were constrained by internal divisions over race and gender as well as external disputes between the CTU and the school administration, state and local politicians, and powerful business and civic organizations. Because of the obstacles they faced and the decisions they made, unionized teachers left many problems unresolved, but they effected changes to public education and to local politics that still benefit Chicago teachers and the public today.


Book Synopsis Teachers and Reform by : John F. Lyons

Download or read book Teachers and Reform written by John F. Lyons and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2008 with total page 314 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Drawing on archival as well as rich interview material, John F. Lyons examines the role of Chicago public schoolteachers and their union, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), in shaping the policies and practices of public education in Chicago from 1937 to 1970. From the union's formation in 1937 until the 1960s, the CTU was the largest and most influential teachers' union in the country, operating in the nation's second largest school system. Although all Chicago public schoolteachers were committed to such bread-and-butter demands as higher salaries, many teachers also sought a more rigorous reform of the school system through calls for better working conditions, greater classroom autonomy, more funding for education, and the end of political control of the schools. Using political action, public relations campaigns, and community alliances, the CTU successfully raised members' salaries and benefits, increased school budgets, influenced school curricula, and campaigned for greater equality for women within the Chicago public education system. Examining teachers' unions and public education from the bottom up, Lyons shows how teachers' unions helped to shape one of the largest public education systems in the nation. Taking into consideration the larger political context, such as World War II, the McCarthy era, and the civil rights movements of the 1960s, this study analyzes how the teachers' attempts to improve their working lives and the quality of the Chicago public school system were constrained by internal divisions over race and gender as well as external disputes between the CTU and the school administration, state and local politicians, and powerful business and civic organizations. Because of the obstacles they faced and the decisions they made, unionized teachers left many problems unresolved, but they effected changes to public education and to local politics that still benefit Chicago teachers and the public today.

Herbert Hoover, Unemployment, and the Public Sphere

Herbert Hoover, Unemployment, and the Public Sphere

Author: Vincent H. Gaddis

Publisher: University Press of America

Published: 2005

Total Pages: 218

ISBN-13: 9780761832348

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Herbert Hoover, Unemployment, and the Public Sphere examines the fulfillment of Hoover's ideas in the area of unemployment between 1919 and 1933. The economic system Herbert Hoover envisioned, one based on cooperation and individual initiative with limited government, and the language he used to promote this system defined New Era discourse. His American Individualism, printed in 1923, served as the political philosophy of the administrations of the 1920s. In his discourse from 1919-1921, Hoover expanded the criteria- the conceptual definitions of virtue and liberty. The book includes a foreword by Mary O. Furner.


Book Synopsis Herbert Hoover, Unemployment, and the Public Sphere by : Vincent H. Gaddis

Download or read book Herbert Hoover, Unemployment, and the Public Sphere written by Vincent H. Gaddis and published by University Press of America. This book was released on 2005 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Herbert Hoover, Unemployment, and the Public Sphere examines the fulfillment of Hoover's ideas in the area of unemployment between 1919 and 1933. The economic system Herbert Hoover envisioned, one based on cooperation and individual initiative with limited government, and the language he used to promote this system defined New Era discourse. His American Individualism, printed in 1923, served as the political philosophy of the administrations of the 1920s. In his discourse from 1919-1921, Hoover expanded the criteria- the conceptual definitions of virtue and liberty. The book includes a foreword by Mary O. Furner.

The Aliites

The Aliites

Author: Spencer Dew

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2019-08-20

Total Pages: 251

ISBN-13: 022664815X

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“Citizenship is salvation,” preached Noble Drew Ali, leader of the Moorish Science Temple of America in the early twentieth century. Ali’s message was an aspirational call for black Americans to undertake a struggle for recognition from the state, one that would both ensure protection for all Americans through rights guaranteed by the law and correct the unjust implementation of law that prevailed in the racially segregated United States. Ali and his followers took on this mission of citizenship as a religious calling, working to carve out a place for themselves in American democracy and to bring about a society that lived up to what they considered the sacred purpose of the law. In The Aliites, Spencer Dew traces the history and impact of Ali’s radical fusion of law and faith. Dew uncovers the influence of Ali’s teachings, including the many movements they inspired. As Dew shows, Ali’s teachings demonstrate an implicit yet critical component of the American approach to law: that it should express our highest ideals for society, even if it is rarely perfect in practice. Examining this robustly creative yet largely overlooked lineage of African American religious thought, Dew provides a window onto religion, race, citizenship, and law in America.


Book Synopsis The Aliites by : Spencer Dew

Download or read book The Aliites written by Spencer Dew and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2019-08-20 with total page 251 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Citizenship is salvation,” preached Noble Drew Ali, leader of the Moorish Science Temple of America in the early twentieth century. Ali’s message was an aspirational call for black Americans to undertake a struggle for recognition from the state, one that would both ensure protection for all Americans through rights guaranteed by the law and correct the unjust implementation of law that prevailed in the racially segregated United States. Ali and his followers took on this mission of citizenship as a religious calling, working to carve out a place for themselves in American democracy and to bring about a society that lived up to what they considered the sacred purpose of the law. In The Aliites, Spencer Dew traces the history and impact of Ali’s radical fusion of law and faith. Dew uncovers the influence of Ali’s teachings, including the many movements they inspired. As Dew shows, Ali’s teachings demonstrate an implicit yet critical component of the American approach to law: that it should express our highest ideals for society, even if it is rarely perfect in practice. Examining this robustly creative yet largely overlooked lineage of African American religious thought, Dew provides a window onto religion, race, citizenship, and law in America.

Hizzoner Big Bill Thompson

Hizzoner Big Bill Thompson

Author: John Bright

Publisher:

Published: 1930

Total Pages: 336

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Hizzoner Big Bill Thompson by : John Bright

Download or read book Hizzoner Big Bill Thompson written by John Bright and published by . This book was released on 1930 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Country and Midwestern

Country and Midwestern

Author: Mark Guarino

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2023-04-24

Total Pages: 569

ISBN-13: 022611094X

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"Chicago is recognized around the world for its place in the history of jazz, gospel, and the blues. Far less known is the surprisingly important role Chicago played in country music and the folk revival. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and deep archival research, Mark Guarino tells a forgotten story of music in Chicago and reveals how the city's institutions and personalities influenced sounds we today associate with regions further south. It is a story of migration and of the ways that rural communities became tied to growing urban centers through radio, the automobile, and the railroad. As the biggest city in the agricultural Midwest, Chicago became a place where rural folk could reinvent themselves and shape their music for the new commercial possibilities the city offered. Years before Nashville emerged as the commercial and spiritual center of country music, Chicago was the most active city for the genre's musicians and record labels. In the mid-1920s, the stars of WLS radio's Barn Dance modernized the sounds of country fiddlers and polished the mountain tunes of Appalachia for contemporary ears. By the 1940s, Chicago had the greatest concentration of country musicians in the US. Bill Monroe, The Carter Family, and Gene Autry all recorded some of their most legendary music in Chicago. When the larger recording industry drifted to the coasts after World War II, Chicago became known for working folk musicians who could freely experiment, collaborate, and perform at a distance from the sometimes stifling star structure of Nashville's Music Row. Guarino tells the stories of the Chicago hustlers who evolved new strains of country music in the city's bars, punk clubs, classrooms, and auditoriums. The College of Complexes, The Gate of Horn, the Earl of Old Town, the Old Town School of Folk Music, Club Lower Links, and Lounge Ax served as creative incubators for different generations of music. Country and Midwestern is a story as vital as the city itself, a celebration of the colorful characters who kept country and folk moving forward, and of the music itself, which even today is still kicking down doors"--


Book Synopsis Country and Midwestern by : Mark Guarino

Download or read book Country and Midwestern written by Mark Guarino and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2023-04-24 with total page 569 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Chicago is recognized around the world for its place in the history of jazz, gospel, and the blues. Far less known is the surprisingly important role Chicago played in country music and the folk revival. Drawing on hundreds of interviews and deep archival research, Mark Guarino tells a forgotten story of music in Chicago and reveals how the city's institutions and personalities influenced sounds we today associate with regions further south. It is a story of migration and of the ways that rural communities became tied to growing urban centers through radio, the automobile, and the railroad. As the biggest city in the agricultural Midwest, Chicago became a place where rural folk could reinvent themselves and shape their music for the new commercial possibilities the city offered. Years before Nashville emerged as the commercial and spiritual center of country music, Chicago was the most active city for the genre's musicians and record labels. In the mid-1920s, the stars of WLS radio's Barn Dance modernized the sounds of country fiddlers and polished the mountain tunes of Appalachia for contemporary ears. By the 1940s, Chicago had the greatest concentration of country musicians in the US. Bill Monroe, The Carter Family, and Gene Autry all recorded some of their most legendary music in Chicago. When the larger recording industry drifted to the coasts after World War II, Chicago became known for working folk musicians who could freely experiment, collaborate, and perform at a distance from the sometimes stifling star structure of Nashville's Music Row. Guarino tells the stories of the Chicago hustlers who evolved new strains of country music in the city's bars, punk clubs, classrooms, and auditoriums. The College of Complexes, The Gate of Horn, the Earl of Old Town, the Old Town School of Folk Music, Club Lower Links, and Lounge Ax served as creative incubators for different generations of music. Country and Midwestern is a story as vital as the city itself, a celebration of the colorful characters who kept country and folk moving forward, and of the music itself, which even today is still kicking down doors"--

Intelligent and Honest Radicals

Intelligent and Honest Radicals

Author: Mitchell Newton-Matza

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2013-09-26

Total Pages: 255

ISBN-13: 0739180134

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Intelligent and Honest Radicals explores the Chicago labor movement’s relationship to Illinois legal and political system especially as seen through the eyes of the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL). Newton-Matza focuses on the significant era between the great strike in 1919 and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inauguration and the beginning of the New Deal in 1933. He brings to light a number of victories and achievements for the labor movement in this period that are often overlooked. Newton-Matza shows the Chicago labor movement as a progressive agency intent on changing the workers’ world through words and peaceful actions, drawing upon their personal experiences and ideology.


Book Synopsis Intelligent and Honest Radicals by : Mitchell Newton-Matza

Download or read book Intelligent and Honest Radicals written by Mitchell Newton-Matza and published by Lexington Books. This book was released on 2013-09-26 with total page 255 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Intelligent and Honest Radicals explores the Chicago labor movement’s relationship to Illinois legal and political system especially as seen through the eyes of the Chicago Federation of Labor (CFL). Newton-Matza focuses on the significant era between the great strike in 1919 and Franklin D. Roosevelt’s inauguration and the beginning of the New Deal in 1933. He brings to light a number of victories and achievements for the labor movement in this period that are often overlooked. Newton-Matza shows the Chicago labor movement as a progressive agency intent on changing the workers’ world through words and peaceful actions, drawing upon their personal experiences and ideology.

Roger C. Sullivan and the Triumph of the Chicago Democratic Machine, 1908-1920

Roger C. Sullivan and the Triumph of the Chicago Democratic Machine, 1908-1920

Author: Richard Allen Morton

Publisher: McFarland

Published: 2019-01-10

Total Pages: 226

ISBN-13: 1476634505

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Between 1908 and 1920, Roger C. Sullivan and his political allies consolidated their control of the Chicago and Illinois Democratic parties, creating the enduring structure known as the "Chicago Democratic machine." Not a personal faction nor tied to any cause, it was a coalition of professional political operatives employing business principles to achieve legal profit and advantage. Sullivan was its chief organizer and first "boss," rising to primacy after many political battles--with William Jennings Bryan, among others--and went on to become a kingmaker who helped Woodrow Wilson win the presidency. By the time of his death, Sullivan was widely respected, his achievements recognized even by those who deplored his politics. Based upon new research, this first comprehensive study of Sullivan and the early days of the Chicago "machine" focuses on the daily realities of the city's politics and the personalities who shaped them.


Book Synopsis Roger C. Sullivan and the Triumph of the Chicago Democratic Machine, 1908-1920 by : Richard Allen Morton

Download or read book Roger C. Sullivan and the Triumph of the Chicago Democratic Machine, 1908-1920 written by Richard Allen Morton and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2019-01-10 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Between 1908 and 1920, Roger C. Sullivan and his political allies consolidated their control of the Chicago and Illinois Democratic parties, creating the enduring structure known as the "Chicago Democratic machine." Not a personal faction nor tied to any cause, it was a coalition of professional political operatives employing business principles to achieve legal profit and advantage. Sullivan was its chief organizer and first "boss," rising to primacy after many political battles--with William Jennings Bryan, among others--and went on to become a kingmaker who helped Woodrow Wilson win the presidency. By the time of his death, Sullivan was widely respected, his achievements recognized even by those who deplored his politics. Based upon new research, this first comprehensive study of Sullivan and the early days of the Chicago "machine" focuses on the daily realities of the city's politics and the personalities who shaped them.

City of Big Shoulders

City of Big Shoulders

Author: Robert G. Spinney

Publisher: Cornell University Press

Published: 2020-05-15

Total Pages: 390

ISBN-13: 1501748343

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City of Big Shoulders links key events in Chicago's development, from its marshy origins in the 1600s to today's robust metropolis. Robert G. Spinney presents Chicago in terms of the people whose lives made the city—from the tycoons and the politicians to the hundreds of thousands of immigrants from all over the world. In this revised and updated second edition that brings Chicago's story into the twenty-first century, Spinney sweeps his historian's gaze across the colorful and dramatic panorama of the city's explosive past. How did the pungent swamplands that the Native Americans called "the wild-garlic place" burgeon into one of the world's largest and most sophisticated cities? What is the real story behind the Great Chicago Fire? What aspects of American industry exploded with the bomb in Haymarket Square? Could the gritty blue-collar hometown of Al Capone become a visionary global city? A city of immigrants and entrepreneurs, Chicago is quintessentially American. Spinney brings it to life and highlights the key people, moments, and special places—from Fort Dearborn to Cabrini-Green, Marquette to Mayor Daley, the Union Stock Yards to the Chicago Bulls—that make this incredible city one of the best places in the world.


Book Synopsis City of Big Shoulders by : Robert G. Spinney

Download or read book City of Big Shoulders written by Robert G. Spinney and published by Cornell University Press. This book was released on 2020-05-15 with total page 390 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: City of Big Shoulders links key events in Chicago's development, from its marshy origins in the 1600s to today's robust metropolis. Robert G. Spinney presents Chicago in terms of the people whose lives made the city—from the tycoons and the politicians to the hundreds of thousands of immigrants from all over the world. In this revised and updated second edition that brings Chicago's story into the twenty-first century, Spinney sweeps his historian's gaze across the colorful and dramatic panorama of the city's explosive past. How did the pungent swamplands that the Native Americans called "the wild-garlic place" burgeon into one of the world's largest and most sophisticated cities? What is the real story behind the Great Chicago Fire? What aspects of American industry exploded with the bomb in Haymarket Square? Could the gritty blue-collar hometown of Al Capone become a visionary global city? A city of immigrants and entrepreneurs, Chicago is quintessentially American. Spinney brings it to life and highlights the key people, moments, and special places—from Fort Dearborn to Cabrini-Green, Marquette to Mayor Daley, the Union Stock Yards to the Chicago Bulls—that make this incredible city one of the best places in the world.